Advice on selling your boat

What does it take to sell a boat? If you’re looking to upgrade your current vessel, downsize, or you’re just looking to try something new, then you need to be fully aware of the process of selling your boat.

In November we gave you some advice on how to pick the perfect boat but we know it’s also important to know the ins and outs of selling – especially if you haven’t sold one before. Here are a few tips to help you get the ball rolling when it comes to putting your vessel up for sale.

How will you sell it?

First things first, work out how you plan to sell your boat. Will you be selling it privately or using a company to help market the boat for you and take the strain? Selling privately means no fees or charges and you have full control over the whole process. However, it can be very time consuming and you will have to get to grips with knowing the boat market and all the paperwork that goes along with selling a boat.

Using a company means they will handle the marketing and the legal side of things. Ultimately, it’s your call, but it’s worth researching companies and their rates to see if you’re willing to pay them to do the selling for you – or if you can afford the time it could take.

Reduce the amount of ‘YOU’

Similarly to selling a house, when you’re advertising your boat, it’s better to remove anything that makes the boat your own and could put off buyers. Any trinkets, tools or basically anything that won’t come with the boat should be taken off before photos or viewings so that potential buyers can envisage themselves owning the boat, already imagining where their own possessions would go. This will also avoid any confusion on what will actually come with the boat during sale, and help make interiors look larger and roomier.

As good as new

To get the best price possible, you should make sure your boat looks her best. Make sure she’s in tip-top condition with nothing that could deter a potential buyer, such as an area of damp or a questionable smell. Now that you have taken out all your belongings, it’s time for a big spring clean basically.

Get your boat looking as good as new, show off its great condition which could add a few pounds to your asking price. If you don’t have time to get on your hands and knees to scrub the boat clean, or you simply don’t want to do it, you can always hire a company to do it all for you – and use your Marina Experience Card for a discount on valet cleaning with our partner companies.

Be realistic

It’s important to make sure you’re not asking for too much when you set a price, or too little for that matter. Take some time to do some research on how much similar vessels are going for, what the market is looking like.

Setting a price too high could discourage potential buyers, but equally going too low could cause you to be out of pocket, or even price you out of the market for some buyers; setting a realistic price will bring you the right interest but be ready to negotiate during sale too. Have it clear in your mind how low you are willing to go if someone tries to haggle on a cheaper price; everyone likes a bargain but you should stick to your bottom line.

When the time is right

The peak time for selling a boat is early spring through to October, and if you leave it too long your advert could be lost among the countless other boats all wanting to be sold for the new sailing season. It’s better to be ahead of the game and be one of the first to get your vessel out there and up for sale before it gets busy in spring time.

First impressions

When you are ready to advertise your boat it’s important that you show how beautiful it is in the images. Using high quality images will give a great first impression of your boat, and this will make a huge difference to whether someone will contact you with interest or ignore the advert and move onto the next. It will not only show off your vessel but it will give you some credibility; first impressions count.